


for the first time in forever

by itiswhatitisbutterfly



Series: vows [3]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Future Fic, Kid Fic, M/M, its just literally about them having babies, lots of tomlinson babies, ps. don't ever give your children puns as names ( @ harry styles), six to be exact, what more could you want
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-17
Updated: 2014-05-17
Packaged: 2018-01-20 05:45:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1498843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itiswhatitisbutterfly/pseuds/itiswhatitisbutterfly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first arrives perfectly punctual right on time, an ode to her nature. The second comes on a dry windy day LA day. The twins cause chaos in the middle of the night before they have even taken their first breaths. Fifth and final <em> (totally last baby, for sure one hundred percent) </em> wins her siblings over in a heartbeat. And Peyton will always be the tiniest little dot.</p><p> (Tiny little scenes from when each of the Tomlinson babies were born.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	for the first time in forever

**Author's Note:**

> Pretty much tiny little one shot/short little snippets to accompany my series (once again, you don't have to have read it to enjoy it! It's prologue, it can read on its own.) 
> 
> All the name meanings come from different websites and books, aren't some of the meanings just so sweet? I didn't even consider the meanings when I picked names, however they just seem to fit. 
> 
> I don't really have much else to say, I wrote these little bits whenever I was bored and needed something to get me through my university work load it kept me sane. Enjoy this gross piece of fluff.

**Mackenzie; fire born, fair, favoured one**

It isn't really planned so much the way it all happens. They are having a barbeque, as you do. It’s a sort of loosely planned thing. After spending so many years joined at the hip it is unthinkable to _not_ do it. They know it's impossible to actually plan with all of them off doing God knows what in God knows where but it is nice to think they do it every month if they can. But sometimes they don't and then they see each other three times in one week and then they all disappear. It's typically disjointed and very them.

It's just the boys all together with a couple beers, some food and a bit of footy.

Harry and Louis don’t so much plan to drop the news then but it turns out to be the perfect time. It’s ten million times easier just to tell them all at the same time anyway, because they know for certain there will be a fight if someone gets told first or last or in the middle.

It’s a last minute thing said in the car, Harry just says, “Well, should we tell them?” and they can’t think of a single excuse any more as to why they shouldn't. Both of their families have known for a few days, probably best to tell their other family. It makes it all very real.

Besides they are hoping it won’t be a giant bomb. They should all be expecting it right? (Jokes aside, they really should see it coming as no surprise.)

“So,” Harry says idly to no one in particular as he pours a glass.

Niall places the food on the table and all the other boys turn to look at Harry. Louis stands behind him and drapes himself over him, his arms hanging loosely around his neck and a head on his shoulder.

They must all sense something is going on because Zayn drops the piece of bread he was holding on his plate and Liam is eyeing them more suspiciously every second.

“You want to say it?” Harry asks Louis turning his head to look up at him.

“No, you can,” Louis replies very delicately. It’s the super fond voice he will get mocked for later.

“You sure?”

“Hell, just do the finish each other’s sentences thing,” Niall says obviously on the edge of his seat, literally and figuratively. 

“Well,” Louis starts. "You know we have been talking about it for ages-"

“We’re having a baby!” Harry finishes quickly, smile beaming and clutching Louis' hands tightly.

Liam goes to stand quickly as a natural reaction and knocks a glass over letting water flow onto the table, barely noticing but making them all flinch. Niall maybe does a fist pump. And Zayn says, “Finally," because he totally already saw that coming.

“Yes! Took you long enough,” Niall says standing up and grabbing onto Harry and Louis together. He cracks up laughing at himself when he bends down to rub Harry’s stomach. “Oh, baby Tomlinson.”

Harry whacks his head pushing him away and flipping him off fondly. “You’re so annoying, fuck off,” he laughs.

Niall grabs Harry’s wine glass laughing. “None for you then.”

“Shut up,” Harry says with a laugh grabbing it back from him.

Zayn is hugging Louis and then Liam is hugging Harry, and they are all hugging each other. Harry can tell Louis is trying not to get too emotional, and they say Harry is the bad one. He doesn't blame him though, it feels more real now. 

“You keep beating us all,” Zayn tells Louis.

“What can I we say we like to win?”

“So who is going to be the God father?” Niall says casually raising his hand. Liam and Zayn eye each other down. Harry and Louis know the race is definitely on and it is going to be a very contentious decision. It's not that they doubted it but they know for sure now their baby is going to be abounded with love and affection and there is nothing they can do about it.

 

"I think these are cute," Louis says holding up a tiny little baby socks with dinosaurs on them. "Oh, look!" Louis says, again grabbing the matching hat from the shelf. The hat is cuter it has scary teeth on it and it's the same green colour, it's also exactly the type of adorably useless accessories Louis loves buying. He attempts to grab the matching gloves as well with his free hand. 

Harry turns his head around arching his eyebrows slightly, he puts down the baby monitor he was inspecting. "They are really cute," Harry smiles before he turns around again to look at the baby slings. He wants one. He thinks Louis is going to think that is stupid. Or least pretend to think it's stupid. But it seem practical? And super bonding? He doesn't know if they _need_ it. It can go on the maybe list. They need to sort out a car seat and get it fitted. They also need to pick out paint today.

Today is serious baby shopping day, they can't get distracted by silly things. Like very adorable tiny hats. 

But Louis gasps. Harry turns back around and Louis is holding a newborn sized baby grow that looks like a monkey. "Can we get this?" Louis says clutching it to his chest. It's really cute, it has a hood with little ears on it and everything. Harry's mind instantly flashes to the baby snuggled up in Louis' arms holding a banana for Halloween.  But they have already got two almost identical outfits.

"We already got the panda one _and_  the tiger one," Harry says very kindly. They also aren't supposed to be buying clothes today. They are doing important things today like paint and window fittings and baby monitors. He repeats it like mantra in his head.

"Darling," Louis says stepping forward toward Harry, clutching his monkey onesie tightly like if he flinches it will be gone forever, "I could buy fifteen of these and it still wouldn't equal how much you've spent at Burberry in the last week alone for baby."

"That's not true."

It's totally true.

"I've seen the packages," Louis replies quickly.

Harry may or may not have gone crazy the other day. He is just preparing that's all. Do you know how exciting it is to actually be allowed to put things in the cart and press purchase instead of sadly exiting empty handed? He is so thankful he was able to sneak the baby Dior boxes into the spare room without Louis knowing.

"They were all really important," Harry says diverting his gaze from Louis. He can't fail now.

"Babe, the baby doesn't need a leather jacket, she won't fit it for years."

Harry frowns. "He might be a quicker grower."

"They don't need leather jackets. They need monkey onesies," Louis says shoving it into Harry's empty arms. Harry takes it with a frown. He can't say no, and once he says yes he knows they are going to be leaving this shopping trip with everything they don't need. He stares at the fluffy brown baby outfit in his hands. It probably wouldn't hurt to get another one. It won't do any harm just buying a couple more outfits today. 

(They leave the trip with three different dress up outfits for the baby, two blankets, multiple soft toys and one hooded towel. And possibly every nautical themed item they can find.)

 

For some reason Harry sits on the floor cross legged while Louis tries to assemble up the crib. He isn't sure how that happened. Like putting up tents, assembling cribs and high chairs and car seats is not Louis' type of fun. But for some reason Harry has a video camera and is watching instead of helping. And Louis is stuck doing all the work.

"I'm going to be honest babe," Louis says throwing the instruction booklet across the floor, "I give up. Just let me pay someone to do it-"

"No," Harry says shaking his head. "It's supposed to be a bonding experience. It's special like this."

"Harry, we could have paid for one already assembled!"

"No."

Louis picks the instruction booklet up again and throws it harder. It hits Harry on the shin and he laughs, not flinching and keeping the camera on Louis.

"I'm a millionaire-" Louis starts sarcastically before Harry laughs even harder.

"And you've got to do some manual labour tough life Lou."

Louis looks at the half assembled 'thing' in front of him. It doesn't even begin to resemble anything. He looks back at Harry and down the camera lens, knowing all of this is being recorded and will be played over and over again. 

"Hi baby, your dad is an idiot. And I'm sorry if you spend your life without a bed, because he is too stubborn to let someone else do it or at least help me." 

Harry pokes his tongue out and then turns the camera around and says, "Don't listen to him. Ever."

(Harry ends up doing most of it. Louis ends up trying to claim he did it. The video gets played to the point in which everyone knows the stupid story about the crib that Louis couldn't put up.)

 

Louis didn’t think there was anything more beautiful than just Harry. Pure Harry just flooding his mind and veins, no distractions and no one else because no one else mattered. They were all just background filler. He didn’t see them anyway, he could spot Harry in a crowded room and he was the only thing he needed even in a stadium of thousands of people. It was true that if the room was burning he still wouldn't notice. He would have gazed upon Harry and Harry alone for the rest of his life and been content before this moment.

Harry has these giant hands and long arms that are slightly trembling. It looks like home, warm and soft and deadly familiar like this has been played over a thousand times in Louis' mind already. It's an uncanny familiar. He can see he is biting through his bottom lip and his eyes are sparkling so much they are threatening to flood and breach their banks at any given moment. It's like his happiness doesn't know how to stay contained. 

Louis doesn’t have a mirror but it takes no genius to confirm he looks exactly the same. Possibly worse. He has a hand on his shoulder and one covering his mouth. And he is just doing this thing, this embarrassing thing where he can't stop smiling or even form words. 

His heart is beating about a million times a second, it wants to jump out and escape to tell everyone about this unconditional desire that has over taken him. This new lease on life, this purpose and this flood of emotions for the people in front of him. It's scary how much he feels. He wasn't sure, or maybe he always was, that you could feel so much. It's a little bit scary how quickly someone can steal your heart.

She is beautiful. She is perfect, pink and dainty wrapped up tight in a blanket and in a homely embrace. _Home_ , Louis thinks, home maybe has a new definition now. She has the smallest little wisps of brown hair and her eyes are firmly closed very contently snoozing, not noticing the ruckus she is causing out here and inside Louis' chest.

And it’s then as Harry lets out a sob and kisses her forehead that he realises he has met someone who has the ability to make Harry look so much better. He looks and so much more alive and beautiful in Louis’ eyes, cause god he is holding Louis' life and meaning in his hands. He didn't think his attention could ever be diverted from Harry by someone else. He was wrong. She could never simply be a part of the white noise. She is an illuminator that Mackenzie is. And he is so ,  _so_ gone for her. 

 

 

**Liberity; freedom, the free**

Harry picks up the guitar and everyone screams right on cue. He laughs as the microphone stand gets adjusted by a crew member and he pulls up the stool, thanking them and sitting down. He is still shaking his head as he pulls the strap of a guitar over his shoulder. 

"You _think_ you all know what is about to happen," he says coyly testing a few chords out and tuning it finely with nimble fingers. Of course they all know what is about to happen. The cheering increases anyway. "And you are all correct. This might be my favourite song. I didn't write it, someone gave it to me as a present. And I need him to help me sing it, can't do it on my own."

He knows technically Louis writes or at least produces most of his songs but that's different. This was a surprise birthday present one. It's the one that turned him into an emotional mess almost every time he used to try and record it. 

Harry thinks he is done stalling and he looks up and sees the stool next to him still very much empty. He frowns. He looks from the chair to the crowd and asks, "Has anyone seen my Louis?"

The crowd increases in volume while Harry peaks over his shoulder looking before a clear but frantic voice over the speakers and into a microphone says, "I'm coming hold on."

Harry turns around to see where it came from but Louis is no where to be seen. He must be hiding backstage ready to go with his microphone, but for some reason he isn't ready to go with his microphone out here. Typical. That means he was probably seconds away from being on time for once but something got in the way.

Harry shakes his head as the audience watches him awkwardly fumble with a pick. He feels a little bit naked already, left hanging without the other half of him.

"Hurry up, you've got twenty thousand people waiting," Harry laughs into the microphone back at him knowing he can hear, assuming Louis is having a toilet break or finishing his tea. Or he could be changing his shirt, he likes to leave that to the last minute. 

"Tell you're daughter that, she won't keep her ear muffs on," Louis replies after a moment, his voice still echoing through the full arena and still no where to be seen.

"Daddy!" someone squeals into the microphone, high pitched and feminine with a little lisp when she realises who she can hear. 

Harry is pretty sure his entire face melts off and everyone can see the sudden change on the screens. Brilliant. The entire crowd erupts into a mess of cooing and awing. He is pretty sure someone in the front row faints. He doesn't blame them. 

"Hi baby," Harry replies gently trying to hold off his blushing smile. He fails miserably.

"Hello," she replies, her voice echoing through the full arena. "Play the Baa Baa please." Harry can hear Louis struggling in vain to sneak her ear muffs back on her ears and telling her to give the microphone back. He can also vaguely hear someone trying to pry her off his leg. 

Harry is pretty sure the people he is playing for didn't play good money to hear him sing Baa Baa Black Sheep. He'll do it anyway. "Okay," he replies softly.

Sure enough, like Harry figured, it does the trick. She puts her ear muffs on and he hears Louis tell her she has been very good and then he is appearing from the side of the stage.

"Hi," Harry says as Louis sits down directly across from him. He really needed to change his shirt, it has dribble on it. Harry tries not to laugh.

"Hi," Louis replies smiling at him. Louis gives Harry that look before he turns to the crowd without a second thought and shouts, "We're having a baby!" 

Telling the entire would that wasn't really in the plan (he is pretty sure he is going to get angry calls from about twenty people tomorrow) but Harry can go with it. He leans over to kiss his husband quick making him blush. Louis is always the one to cause the dramatics. Harry knew this would happen, he would sneak it in before Harry got the chance to do so and steal the satisfaction. 

"We are. Surprise!" Harry replies simple and sweet.

"You going to sing this song then?" Louis asks, obviously hiding his smile.

"Oh right. Yes," Harry fumbles, always eloquent. "Louis wrote this one about our family. It's a duet-"

"No, the other one," Louis laughs.

"What?"

Louis laughs, "You promised Mac that-"

Harry shakes his head before saying just loud enough so everyone can hear, "I can't believe I'm going to do this," before breaking into a very lovely rendition of her favourite nursery rhyme. He might pretend he doesn't want to but the satisfaction of knowing Mackenzie is perched on someone's shoulders watching from the side of the stage is worth it. 

 

He liked to pick names from the oddest places. It didn't matter if it was walking through a park ("Peony is nice isn't it?") or reading ("What about Titania, the queen of the fairies?").

Harry picked out the name Liberity when they were flicking through photos once, a long time before she was born. He just smiled at a picture of Louis and himself in New York and whispered, “Liberity Tomlinson, I like that one.”

“We aren’t naming any of our children after a statue.”

Harry sighs exasperated. “It’s a different spelling. I saw it in a book once. Besides it's more than just that, it's an idea.”

It grew on Louis. That was the problem. He didn’t hate it. He kind of liked it. Which was a problem.

They sit in an LA hospital slumped on each other when Harry says it again in a quiet voice. “Liberity Anne.”

“Isn’t that a bit cliché?” Louis whispers back watching the clock tick back and forth. Any second now. Or maybe five hours, give or take. 

“What because we are living in America?”

“No, because baby will technically be American,” Louis says it like it is a horrible sad fact. Harry knows Louis is going to put her in a Union Jack onesie as soon as he can, he knows there is going to gross amounts of over compensation. 

“She will be British you idiot. She’ll probably come out holding a cup of Yorkshire tea if she's anything like you."

Louis ignores him and sings into his ear, “ _Well she was an American girl raised on promises...”_

It earns him a giggle and, “We are moving back in three months, she won’t be raised on any American promises.”

Louis lifts his head from Harry’s shoulder and gives him a serious look. “I don’t have a good argument here do I?”

“Nope. Especially not because I know you like it. If you didn't we wouldn't be having this discussion."

“Yes, to the middle name.”

Harry laughs, as quiet as possible. “You really don’t have a say in that. My mum has made it pretty clear she will disown me if that isn’t the middle name.”

“Let me at least have a look at her before we decide,” Louis says already giving in, and pretending that him saying that hasn't set it in concrete. Before mumbling almost incomprehensibly, "If she grows up to hate it, it's on you." 

Harry kisses the top of his head and closes his eyes briefly having a quiet rest as they try and wait it out.

 

The next day Harry and Louis walk down the same corridor holding hands with an over active three year old. She has unruly straight brown hair, green eyes, is wearing a pair of red vans and is finally ready to meet her new best friend.

“You have to be very quiet Mackenzie,” Louis says as he crouches down in front of her as they reach the door.

She nods, her ponytail bobbing up and down. “I can do that,” she says proudly. They do know she can do that but she also has the tendency to scream a lot when things excite her.

“Remember what we said, she is very small so we have to be very careful,” Harry says slowly. They have been over this about a million times in the last few months, she even has her own baby doll she likes to call sister. But she once threw her into a pool, so the nerves here are justified. 

They have been trying to ease into the whole ‘You’re getting a sibling! Congrats!’ thing because everyone is always telling them how much of an only child she is. That isn't really their fault though, despite everyone's eye rolling when they say it, they don't spoil her. She is just loveable. Mackenzie can wrap anyone around her finger, from a tour bus driver who lets her toot the horn as many times as she likes to rappers and rock stars backstage at talk shows when she sweetly asks them if they have seen any bananas around.

Basically, Mackenzie is the apple of everyone's eye. But she is going to have to get used to sharing.

She has been taking it relatively well. It’s not like they worried she would hate her sister but she can be highly unpredictable. Hence the time she threw her baby doll into the hotel pool and cried when Louis fished her out, claiming she wanted to be a mermaid. 

This is the real moment as they slowly creak open the door to reveal the room with the baby in. Mackenzie covers her mouth with her hand to show how good she is being at being quiet as she pads her feet across the tiled floor.

They carefully lead her over to the crib hand in hand, a nurse smiling fondly and stepping out of the way. Mackenzie can’t see she is too small compared to the hospital basinet so Louis picks her up when she promises she won’t kick or squirm but she will hold on tight.

She lets out the sweetest yet quietest little noise of excitement when she meets her sister’s eyes for the first time and stretches out her hand as if to wave hello. It's like she can't believe she is real, but to be honest neither can Louis and Harry.

Harry picks the newborn baby up gently trying his best not to stir her too much and lifts her to Mackenzie’s eye line from her place on Louis hip. She looks a lot like Mackenzie but with finer lighter hair. 

“Mackenzie, this is your sister Liberity,” Harry says his eyes twinkling watching Mackenzie’s face light up with joy as she keeps staring. 

Louis takes her hand and lets her touch Liberity’s tiny little fingers for a second, they curl around her thumb. Mackenzie’s smile increases as she looks from the baby to her Daddy to her Papa.

“Lib-“ she tries confused. “Libby,” she says happily instead. “Hi,” she says her eyes focused. “Hi sister.”

**Elliot; strength, right & Grayson; settlement, quiet**

"And then the elephant said to the kangaroo, 'How about we go to the Zoo?'" Louis says closing the book with a soft, "The end."

Mackenzie furrows her eyebrows and reopens it. "Again?" she says quietly to Louis, her eyes shifting to see if Harry is listening. 

She watches Harry throw the last remaining dolls in her giant chest of toys, he doesn't seem to be paying attention so she whispers again, "Please, please, please," tugging on Louis' arm and burrowing her head. She also tries to big puppy dog eyes and pouts her bottom lip out a tad. 

"Again!" Liberity shouts, leaning over them grabbing the book and trying to pry it open with little fingers. She ruins everything.

Mackenzie slumps back against the pillows. She will definitely not be getting another turn now.

"No, it's bed time," Harry says looking directly at Louis as if to make a point and then flopping like a starfish on the floor. Louis thinks he quite silly and the girls probably agree with the way they giggle when he pretends to snore. 

"We just read it four times," Louis says taking the book from Liberity and sliding it back into the shelf next to the bed. "You guys just don't want to sleep."

"No. This is studying the animals," Mackenzie says sweetly.

Harry and Louis both try to not laugh but fail miserably together. Liberity climbs off the bed as graceful as ever, a mess of chubby climbs and toddles over to flop into her Dads arms. "Hi," she says muffled into his shirt. 

"Says the girl who hates school," Louis says kissing Mackenzie's freshly washed hair and smoothing it away for her forehead. 

"I don't hate it," she grumbles. She so does. That is why she has cried almost everyday this week when they dropped her off. 

"Well," Harry says, "You can study the animals tomorrow night."

"Because the two princesses have to go to bed now," Louis tacks on the end.

"I'm a tiger," Liberity says rolling around on the floor now.

"And I'm not just a princess, I'm a heroine," Mackenzie nods. Louis has no idea where she learns these fancy words from.

"Okay," Louis says kissing her forehead again, she preens under the attention. 

Harry finally gets off the floor and picks Liberity up who screams and giggles. He spins her around and then drops her very gently into the pillows on the bed, landing next to her sister. 

"Again," she says kicking her legs around and extending her arms. Harry flops down so its all four of them squished into a single bed with a princess headboard and dozens and dozens of furry animal toys. The best way to describe Mackenzie's room is that it literally looks like a princess stole Noah's ark and started a rouge Zoo in castle boat. 

"You're so silly daddy," Mackenzie says reaching over and patting his cheek. She learns all her bad habits from Louis.

"Thank you," he says grabbing her face and kissing her. She giggles. "Thank you," she says in return for her kisses.

When everyone finally stops laughing and wriggling around Louis looks at Harry who has his head in his lap. Harry looks up at him and says quieter now, "Do you want to?"

Louis looks at the way Mackenzie has Liberity sitting between her legs and arms wrapped around her waist. Occasionally they giggle about a little inside joke they have. 

 "Alright," Louis replies. "Girls," he says, they look up at him curiously.

"What?" Mackenzie says, Liberity repeats it soon after like a little echo.

"You know how we talked about babies the other day?" Louis starts trying to approach it conversationally. 

Mackenzie tilts her head to the side before nodding. She's smart though, and it takes her another second for her eyes to narrow between her parents. She takes her pointer finger and pokes it in the air in their direction. "You're having a baby!" she shouts.

"No," Harry says casually. Her face drops and she frowns, slightly confused she had gotten it wrong.

"We're having two babies," Louis says instead. The way their faces light up and their mouths jump open makes Harry and Louis wish they had remembered to grab a camera.

 

The phone rings and its 2:15 AM. At least that is what the clock says. On any other day maybe they would have just grabbed it and turned it off because sleep should be respected. But something feels peculiar about this moment, like Louis had already been awake just sort of waiting for it.

Louis lets his hand fumble around the side table pushing his glasses off the side and finally getting the phone, he answers the call.

“Hello,” he croaks out, rubbing his eyes and trying to sit up.

Harry burrows his head deeper under a pillow. He swears he just got to sleep because he just got Liberity back to sleep after a bad dream left her sobbing in their bed. Life is cruel. His hand creeps up and grabs Louis’ arm tugging him back down. Harry wants to sleep, Harry needs Louis to sleep.

“What? Oh fuck- Sorry. Yeah,” Louis says suddenly.

Harry notices the change in his voice and immediately perks up. He knows exactly what this means. Oh great, this was definitely not meant to happen like this.

Louis shoves Harry’s shoulder and says, “Babies are coming.”

Harry gives a weak, “Yay!” as he flops around trying to get out of bed and switch a light on.

Really he is excited, like he is biting his bottom lip and Louis is squeezing the life out of his shoulder. Because babies! Times two! Twins! Maybe a boy! or two or more girls that is cool as well.

It’s just they had planned this really well. They were all set for an induction next week they had cleared their schedules, Harry’s parents would be here to look after the girls and everything would run smoothly.

But life obviously had other plans because they have no one to look after the girls and Harry has a bunch of radio interviews tomorrow and Louis has writing sessions planned and the babies are coming. Harry jumps out of bed looking desperately for the emergency bag. Louis always laughs at him because he has an emergency baby bag ready (it’s in every damn book alright, be prepared) and they have never needed it until now.

“We’ll be there as soon as we can. We’re fine don’t worry,” Louis says sounding a little bit stressed. Then he laughs and says, “I know. We’ll be quick don’t worry.”

He hangs up and looks at Harry who is grabbing their tooth brushes and wondering if its acceptable to leave the house without fixing his hair. It seems like he should get a pass this morning. But he might regret it in a few hours.

“Looks like we are having some babies,” Louis says watching him stop his frantic pace and stare for a second. Harry ducks his head laughing only slightly. “Looks like we are.”

 

Louis kneels down by Mackenzie’s bed and switches her pink princess lamp on. She immediately covers her eyes with her hand and rolls over into her mountains of soft toy zoo animals and pillows. Louis carefully rolls her back over, much to her quiet protests.

“Maccie,” he coos pulling the blankets off her. She frowns but opens her eyes slowly, her green eyes piercing him and her brows furrowed. 

“Is it really time for school?” she asks confused and annoyed looking at her dark curtains that have no sign of light. Mackenzie really hates school.

“No love,” he replies kissing her furrowed brow and trying not to laugh at how she sighs with joy. She yawns and stretches her arms. “The twins are coming.”

“Yay,” she replies weakly her smile increasing. “Am I going with you?” she says trying to sit up.

Louis shakes his head sadly and watches her get sadder and sadder very quickly. “You’ve got to look after Liberity for me and Daddy,” he says like he had rehearsed over and over again in his head.

She seems better when she hears that but asks, “Is Grandma here?”

“She’s going to be here in the morning. You’re going to stay with Uncle Zayn and Auntie Perrie.”

She solemnly nods, he can see it in her eyes she is obviously sad she won’t be staying with her Uncle Niall.  It’s just both Harry and Louis know that could end in disaster. Plus Niall didn’t answer his phone where as Perrie answered Zayn’s with giant “Yes!” as a greeting because their boys love the girls (Louis isn't sure the feeling is mutual, Mackenzie did claim Lucas tried to cut her ponytail off once.)

He kisses her forehead helping her tired limbs get out of bed, "You'll have fun. You love spending time with the boys," he says to which she solemnly replies with a straight face, "No. I don't like them." 

Mackenzie doesn’t have to get out of her PJ’s much to her delight, Louis just wraps her up in a coat and puts a beanie on her head. She takes her big girl school bag (it’s blue, white and red with little anchors, boats and some rope on it, the only one she wanted in the store because, “ _I_ _t matches Daddy! Now we all match!”_ ) filled with her blanket, a story book, a change of clothes and her toothbrush.

They switch all the lights off and lock the doors holding hands until they reach the car in the driveway. Harry has put their bags in the back and managed to get Liberity out of bed and into the car without waking her. He has magic hands, that’s the only reasoning Louis can ever come up with. He is a baby whisperer. It’s pitch dark outside and Mackenzie seems marvelled by it trying to stare up at the dark sky. 

“I went to sleep and woke up but the sun didn’t,” she tells Louis as he puts her next to Liberity in the back seat.

Harry smiles a sleepy smile at her as he leans over to adjust her fringe that pokes out of her blue beanie. He doesn't have the heart to try and explain astronomy to her right now, besides he likes her theory better. "You can go back to sleep if you'd like little bird," he says to which he gets a frown in reply. This is obviously way too exciting for sleep. 

“Libby wake up,” she says leaning over her sisters car seat.

Harry shakes his head and pulls her back over to her side. “Shh don’t wake her up, like the sun she is still sleeping.”

Mackenzie nods with a yawn putting her hand over her mouth. Her parents climb into the front seats of the car and talk about things she doesn't understand. When they aren't watching she carefully leans back over to whispers to her snoozing sister, “Lib we’re going to be big sisters.”

 

Elliot is a sleepyhead who will go out like a light. Grayson never stops screaming. And that makes his brother wake up like a chain reaction. Twins are fun, don't let anyone else tell you otherwise.

Harry rocks Grayson back and forth and side to side pacing around the room. He will stop every few seconds and Harry gets a heart warming sense of optimism before he crinkles his forehead and starts again. Harry thinks it might be the swinging motion that soothes him for second, he tries to perfect it but it makes it worse and he gets louder in his protests.

Mackenize used to love being rocked up and down, her eyes would light up and she would just stop and wonder till she fell asleep. It took them almost a month to figure out Liberity liked singing, her parents voices soothed her into slumber and then that was that.

The boys are a tag team nightmare. Once they start it seems like they never stop. 

Harry tries his hand at singing something but that makes it worse as well. He doesn't notice the door slowly creek open and a two and a half year old with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders sneak in. Before knows it he has something attached to his leg like a koala, which can only be one person.

He looks down to see a bleary eyed Liberity looking up at him. "Oh no, you too?," Harry says, propping Grayson against his shoulder to put a hand in Liberity's messed up hair.

She nods solemnly. "They're loud."

He knows. He is pretty sure he can hear Louis fighting the same battle down in the kitchen. At least he doesn't have to worry about Mackenzie, she could sleep through anything.

Harry looks at Grayson and says, "Hey Gray, you woke your sister up." He cries in reply.

Liberity giggles into his leg hiding her face and yawning.

He isn't sure what he is supposed to do right now. He tries his best to not over think it, he tries to trust his natural instincts. He doesn't think he read anything in a book about what you do when you have two crying newborns and a two year old attached to your shin. Plus the whole sleep deprivation thing. 

"Lib," he says bending down slightly. Grayson stops for a second. "Why don't you go climb back into bed and I'll come in a second? I'll tuck you back in."

She shakes her head. "I hate my new bed."

The bed thing is an issue. They got her out of a crib and into a bed perfectly fine with Mackenzie's help convincing her cool people sleep in 'real' beds. Then the babies arrived and she kept staring at the cribs and decide a big girl bed wasn't as fun. It's worse because she now knows she can climb out and venture around whenever she feels like it if she wakes up.

Harry does a mental soothing breath. He could fall asleep on the carpet right now he thinks. If he doesn't physically keep his eyes open he could just slump to the side and snooze. "Alright," he says instead grabbing her hand in his own. 

He moves the three of them over to the corner where the rocking chair lies. It's the same one they use for all the kids. He isn't exactly sure but he thinks it might have been the first baby room item they purchased back when they were foolish and hopeful. It could be magical, he hasn't been able to disprove that yet.

Liberity snuggles into his side and he holds Grayson in his arms trying to rock them back and forth. He doesn't cry as loud as before which is nice, he just wriggles and doesn't stop kicking his legs.

He isn't sure what does it. Maybe its the back and forth motion, the way he tries to hum a tune under his breath or maybe its the way Liberity is keeping them warm and holding Grayson's hand but all three of them fall asleep.

He wakes up to someone carding a finger through his hair and rubbing his shoulder. It's silent apart from a gentle, "Harry. Love, wake up."

The room is dark apart from the lamp in the corner. He looks down before he looks up. Liberity is snoring and Grayson looks so calm when he is asleep. He is lie. He isn't calm. He lives a life of lies.

It's then that he looks up at Louis. He is empty handed too. "Ellie went to sleep?" Harry mouths.

Louis nods. "Of course, as soon as this one did."

Harry smiles and tries not to budge. "I'll take her," Louis says quietly extending his hands and scooping Liberity up. She goes without a fuss and is cuddled up in his arms with her head draped over his shoulder and a blanket in one fist. She looks extremely worn out, he is sure she will have a giant nap tomorrow.

Harry looks at the tiny sleeping form in the crib next to him and then at the bundle in his arms. He feels so satisfied he wishes he could bottle this up and never have to deal with them at their worst again. If only. 

He moves Grayson as careful as possible from his arms to his bed. He successfully does it without waking him and makes sure his blankets are properly in order before stepping back and sighing. 

He is confronted by someone wrapping their arms around his waist from behind. "The three of you looked so peaceful asleep together," Louis says as they watch the now silent room for a second. Harry doesn't have the energy to reply.

"Come on, let's go to bed before they wake up," Louis whispers. 

Harry doesn't want to check the time. So he doesn't he just lets Louis grab his hand and yank him away, switching off the lamp before they leave the door slightly ajar. 

 

 

**Addison; earth, red**

“You’re going to get another brother or sister, we’re going to have a baby,” Louis tells his children very carefully and slowly as they munch on snacks and sip cups of water at the dining room table. It's a very unconventional tea party family meeting.

Like Harry had predicted this is going to be a little bit harder than it had been the previous times they had done this.

It took Mackenzie a few months four years ago when they told her she would be getting a sister. But once she had been shown pictures she really understood the concept, and it was new and exciting. Although no one knew what they were getting into she was well adapted when Liberity came along. Probably because she has so many cousins and is constantly surrounded. The twins had been a little harder. The idea of two babies thrilled her and Liberity alike. Yet when the boys screamed all night they seemed to decide they had been tricked into a false sense of joy for their brothers. 

Now Mackenzie has the been there done that attitude and both Harry and Louis know it. She has had her pigtails pulled by one too many babies.

“Another baby!” Liberity says raising her hands up to high five her oblivious brothers. They raise their cups and try and bang them together laughing and spilling water on themselves. 

Mackenzie has a look of shock horror on her face. “I don’t want another baby,” she wails slamming her fists on the table making another cup spill. 

Harry looks at Louis knowing. This was definitely coming.

“Why’s that?”

“There are too many babies,” she says folding her arms and looking at her three siblings giggling.

“But you love them,” Louis says patting her head. It's the cold hard truth. 

“You’re such a good big sister,” Harry says kissing her on the cheek and ruffling up her hair. 

“You are! You’re my favourite big sister,” Liberity says with a toothy grin.

Mackenzie sighs flopping her head down into her hands. “It’s just hard work.”

 

Louis is in the fruit section of the supermarket when his phone rings. Elliot and Grayson sit in the front of the trolley trying to poke each others eyes out. Louis stares at the apples, puts a hand between the boys to separate them and uses his other to answer his phone with a quick swipe.

"Hello," he says as he contemplates if Harry asked for green apples or red apples. He can't for the life of him remember. Does it actually matter? Probably.

"Hi," replies Rebecca, their normally cheerful and loud surrogate. She sounds a bit tired this morning however.

Louis' mind instantly reels. He couldn't have missed an appointment. Maybe baby is just being a pain in the ass.

"What can I do for you love?" Louis asks trying to not let on that he has no clue what she has called for. Elliot grabs Grayson's knitted hat and throws in into the bin of pears and laughs. Louis leans down to grab it, carefully putting it back on his head and shifting them away from each other again. 

"I really don't want to be a pain Louis but," she says very careful with her words.

She is literally never a pain. "You're literally carrying my baby, your pain is my pain and my pain is your pain-" Louis starts. 

She sighs. "Alright. I would normally never mention it but it's just my flat mates have been getting a bit-"

Louis stops pushing the trolley and stares into empty space, people milling around and shoving past him. "What did he do?"

"Louis," she says begging him not to make her tell the truth. She is so nice. 

"What has Harry done this time?"

"He just keeps on calling here during the night," she says quietly.

That makes sense. Louis knows he has been getting out of bed during the night. He assumed he was being pedantic about something like making sure the kids had extra blankets, he just couldn't figure it out. Louis sighs.

"I really appreciate it, don't tell him I told you. I just don't need smoothie ideas at 3 AM."

Louis winces. "I'll talk to him," he says as he watches Grayson pull a box of crisps from the trolley and throw them onto the floor.

 

When Louis walks in the door he is assaulted by a four year old dressed as a pirate. 

"Hello Lib, how was your day?" Louis says as the boys run past him and out of his grip. Liberity points a sword at him, smiling and looking like the least threatening pirate he has ever seen despite her eye patch. 

"Good. Give me your treasure!" she shouts with a giggle on the end.

Louis holds two bags of vegetables and fruit, he isn't sure that is considered treasure around here. "My treasure just ran off," he says pointing to where Elliot and Grayson had disappeared.

She turns her head wondering and then looks back at him waving her sword, "Alright, bye." She runs down the hall chasing them and waving her sword about. 

Louis finds Harry seemingly asleep on the couch. "Are you seriously asleep?" he says instead of greeting him.

"No," Harry says not opening his eyes. "I've just been a damsel in distress for an hour I'm worn out."

"Oh tough work being a princess," Louis says laughing. He throws him self over Harry, probably hurting both of them in the process. Harry's elbow hits his collar bone and it hurts but he kisses him anyway.

"It is hard work," Harry smiles finally opening his eyes and wrapping his arms around Louis.

"It doesn't help that you haven't been sleeping either," Louis says very careful.

Harry hums in agreement. 

"Stop calling Rebecca," Louis says. Straight to the point.

Harry's mouth slowly gapes open and he makes a little sound of protest before closing it again. "Who told you?" 

"She did," Louis laughs, "You see her almost once a week, just write everything down or just save it for normal daylight hours babe."

Harry contemplates it for a minute before pouting out, "I can't believe she would betray me like that."

"She likes me better," Louis brags. She did tell him she had a Louis cut out when she was a teenager. But Harry does text her about prenatal vitamins a lot and Harry does whine that he needs her to accept true love is not a myth and find her a nice boy and does Louis think they should try and set her up with someone. He once walked in on them having an argument about the existence of soul mates and he had to turn around and walk out shaking his head before Harry dragged him in as factual evidence. 

Harry pokes his tongue out at Louis and then tries in vain to lick his face. Someone throws a soft toy lion at their heads and giggles.

"You need to get a new hobby babe," Louis says as kind as possible.

Harry watches Elliot pick up another toy threatening to throw it and he sighs, "I've got four."

 

Mackenzie sits on Louis’ lap in the middle of the sofa in their very new house. Liberity sits on one side of her holding Grayson and Elliot sits alone on their other side.

“Alright, do you remember what we said Mackenzie?” Harry asks her.

She folds her arms over each other mimicking holding a baby like she has been practising. “Arms folded, strong arms and no moving,” she prattles on looking down at her new sister half asleep in the carrier. She looks like a doll, but she cries too much and that gives it away she thinks.

Louis puts his arms under hers from behind securing them tight. “That’s right,” he tells her.

Harry carefully picks Addison put and places her in Mackenzie’s arms, with Louis' help she is able to gently hold onto her sister who is wrapped up tightly in her blankets. She opens her mouth threatening to cry but changes her mind.

All of the other kids lean over her, hands going everywhere, to try and get a look. They are very very careful and very quiet.

“Look I’m holding her daddy,” Mackenzie says excitedly. "We're holding her papa look!"

Harry takes a picture the exact moment she smiles after saying it. It’s Mackenzie grinning down at the baby in her arms. The other four doing the same thing cuddled up into her sides.

"She looks like a doll," Mackenzie says looking at Louis. 

It’s later that they are looking at the photos and smiling that it hits them.

“We have five kids,” Louis says. He thinks they might be out doing themselves just a tad. 

It's not that they didn't realise they have five kids. You don't just wake up one day with this many children. It's just looking at them all bundled together it hits them. 

“We have a very small army,” Harry laughs his head resting on Louis' shoulder, “Of under ten year-olds.”

A moment passes where Harry just looks at the picture, dragging his finger along the screen of his phone. They have really cute kids. They make really good babies, they owe it to the world to have a lot of them. That is justification enough. 

“Five is a good number,” he murmurs under his breath. Five is a good number. It's a pentagram. It's five fingers and five toes.

Louis replies, “It is.”

“It’s a perfect number,” Harry smiles, “I don’t think we need any more.”

Louis kisses his forehead and lets out a small laugh. Five is a lot, they should probably stop. “Yea, no more babies. We’re good.”

No more babies. Definitely no more babies. Five is perfect. A handful. Good number.

 

 

**Peyton; royal, regal, from the fighter**

Harry lied. Well, he didn't lie. It just took him a few more years to figure out he _needed_ another baby. And some constantly nagging, pouting, and guilt tripping to get him one. The biggest argument being that five wasn't an even number, which was apparently a bad thing. And that they had an uneven boy to girl ratio. And Addison really _really_ wanted to be a big sister. Louis didn't actually need convincing at all but Harry worked hard nonetheless.  

They didn't fix the uneven gender ratio with another girl, but it didn't actually matter.

Peyton Tomlinson is the smallest little thing in the world when she arrives far too many weeks early scaring everyone to death and probably causing herself to be grounded for the rest of her life indefinitely. 

Harry stares at the plastic before him. It’s a mutual feeling of wanting to break something but not being able to do so, because the very thing he wants to smash is just doing its job. And it is doing its job very well. He should thank it rather than try and burn a hole in it by staring. 

It’s just annoying because it’s Harry’s job. It’s in his job description and his DNA and everything. He is supposed to keep his baby warm, feed her and protect her from the outside world. Not a little incubator.

Harry might be going a little bit crazy. He hasn’t slept in almost two days.

He watches Peyton move her little fingers up and down in her sleep and he smiles. He has only been able to hold her properly a handful of times, other than that they just let him feed her. He is pretty lucky she doesn’t need a machine.

She has a little green beanie on. He doesn’t know why she ended up with green when they got her a whole rainbow of colours. He thinks maybe one of her sisters must have chosen it, probably with some influence from Louis. It matches her booties.

It’s only a moment later that he can feel Louis and his eyes baring into the back of his skull, a few seconds later that he feels his hand on his shoulder very much expecting it and letting it anchor him. Harry leans his head to the side and just rests his cheek on the back of his hand. It’s comforting.

Harry can smell coffee. Louis doesn’t drink coffee unless he is really tired. Like really tired.

"How is my girl?"

“Hi. Good. How are they?” Harry says quickly.

“Good. As impatient as ever, I was scared they were going to sneak into my car,” Louis says light heartedly trying to cheer Harry up. He does smile a bit and his heart aches. He needs to go home, but the thought of leaving Peyton is unbearable.

“They made these,” Louis says propping some cards up against some window. Someone has drawn their entire family as birds, very creative it deserves a spot on the fridge. Not that the other ones don’t, Addison’s spaghetti like people are very lovely. He suddenly thinks in the thousands of thoughts circulating he needs to go get a tattoo as soon as they get out of here, he’ll need to find some space. It’s pretty limited these days, but there has always been room for another star. 

Louis steps back and Harry knows he is talking to Peyton and he tries not to listen. He doesn't need to get all silly and emotional. He just marvels at the way Louis is his rock. It doesn't matter how much they change and grow, it's been the same thing since he can remember. Louis might go around screaming Harry makes him strong, and its true. But, Louis does something entirely different. He is the foundation and the constant, for their family. Harry balls his hands into fists and wonders how they all got so lucky. 

 Louis eventually wraps himself back around Harry again kissing his head. They just sit there for a few moments in silence.

“They just told me she is going to be perfectly fine,” Louis says. They’ve told Harry as well, about ten times in the last hour. It doesn’t make him feel better.

“The nurse told me they are going to check on her in an hour and then hopefully by the end of today she will be out of there.”

Harry sighs and lets his Louis tangle fingers in his hair before he loops his arms around his neck from behind. “I know,” he replies weakly.

“She’s fine love, all she needed was to be warmed up because she can’t do it quite right and a little bit of extra oxygen because she doesn’t have the biggest lungs,” Louis whispers, swinging them back and forth together. Harry doesn’t like her breathing tube in her nose. She has to wear booties on her hands so she can’t pull it out. Those are green as well.

“But look at her, she definitely has the whole breathing thing down perfectly now. She’ll have good lungs don’t worry. A nice pair of pop star lungs,” he continues. Harry would normally reprimand him that none of them will be pop stars if he can help it. And then Louis would laugh at tell him to say that to Mackenzie.

Harry sniffles his nose instead to stop the emotions that threaten to break. “She will be loud, loud and loud for sure,” he murmurs into Louis arm.

“Yes, she will be.”

 

"She is so small," Elliot says quietly to no one in particular. He snuggles in closer to his Papa's side and keeps watch over the way Peyton's chest rises and falls under the blankets. She is stretched out wide, her limbs extended and her little fists pressed to Louis' chest like it's a pillow. He counts her eyelashes and spends his time time blissfully watching her do nothing but sleep.

"She's funny looking," Grayson giggles. 

"You're funny looking," Elliot says shoving his side, "She's cute," he says fixing his eyes back on her. 

"Daddy don't fall asleep," Liberity says shaking Harry's shoulders. He has his eyes closed and the blankets up to his chin but smiles when she moves him about.

"I'm not." Yawn. "I'm just-" Yawn. "Resting my eyes."

"We're supposed to be hanging out," Mackenzie says from somewhere in the middle on the bed. It's true, it's the first night with the whole family back home and everyone is feeling very clingy. Louis swears every time he unlatches one child from his arm, another one seizes the chance and grabs hold of him. 

So it's 7 PM on a Tuesday and the entire Tomlinson family is well and truly ready for sleep. They are somehow defying physics and all under the covers in Harry and Louis' bed. There are legs and toes and arms everywhere, but like a perfect little jigsaw puzzle they fit just right. 

"It's family time," Grayson adds burrowing his head on Louis' other side. 

Harry is so tired he can't move at all and Louis had been immobilized by a sleeping newborn. This will have to do.

"Alright," Louis says softly, "What are we doing then?"

They could have story time, or put on a movie on the quietest volume setting, or even singing if someone can find a guitar and they keep it very muted. They could try and do anything really, as long as they are prepared for it to fail. 

When no one answers Mackenzie quietly replies, "Nothing. Just this is nice."

Harry opens one eye to just take a little look at his family. He counts two boys in matching superhero pyjamas, two girls with smiles and a toddler under one arm. Plus the love of his life with a hand over their baby's back, dwarfing her and holding her close. 

"There is no place I'd rather be," Mackenzie adds. 

He couldn't agree more. 

When Louis feels Peyton stir an hour or two later ready for a bottle he finds the room dark. He can just make out shadows and laboured breaths. He pries himself away from Grayson and Elliot's grips before she can start to cry, holding her tight and slipping out of the covers as carefully as possible.

They have somehow managed to all end up asleep in here. This isn't the first time this has occurred and wont be the last. As Louis opens the door and turns the hallway light on he can make out the shapes in the bed now. 

Harry has a Mackenzie under one arm and a Liberity in the other. Addison has made herself as small as possible and lies on top of him with a thumb in her mouth, obviously her favourite place in the world. Harry is just a head of brown hair in a sea of them. He is probably extremely uncomfortable, hot and his back will hurt all week. 

He tried his best to be quiet and sneaky but Harry just has a sixth sense when it comes to Louis. It's like he feels the needle on the compass move and he has to open his eyes to follow its direction. 

"Hi," he mouths in the dark, Louis just being able to make it out.

"I love you," Louis mouths back, because it means the same thing in the end, everything does.

If this is forever, it's the best one he could have ever dreamed. 

**Author's Note:**

> Word of advice never ever ever go on the baby Doir or the Buberry kids websites, you will cry. (Also, baa baa black sheep is a nursery rhyme I sang heaps as a kid? I think it's English in origin, otherwise I've put a random song from New Zealand about sheep in here so forgive me.)  
> PLEASE don't send me rude messages saying I want Harry to be a solo artist? I really couldn't care less I hope all five of them do all sorts of solo work because I am selfish af and never want to give 1d up (how is that the only thing you took from that passage?? focus on harry and louis singing duets together!! what the fuck louis wrote harry a song and gave it to him as a present and put it on an album and they sing it together while their baby watches!! what the fuck!! why did i write that!!) 
> 
> tumblr: itiswhatitisbutterfly.tumblr.com


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